As in which version? For general reading purposes, I use the ESV - the Study Bible if I can find it. For study/debate/nitpicky purposes, I go to BibleGateway and compare translations, and Google the Greek or Hebrew words if necessary.

I'm trying to find my spiritual path/way. I was brought up in a very hypocritical Baptist home my family mom and extended family and church they attend are very racists (against whites marrying other racists,against Religions mixing(I know it's in the bible some what),all Muslims are terrorists,I'm going to Hellosoup for having a tattoo and any piercing other than ears are wrong. the only real bible is the KJV and anything else is false and should be burned.

This is why I have such a hard time with religion, how can you be a Christian and be that kind of person? I know not all Christians are like my family though, I know there are good ones out there, but when you grow up around the bad ones it is hard to see the good in people.
I can't fathom that if there is a God out there he is an unloving God,a God like the one my family worships,I can't believe that if Heaven exist it's the kind of Heaven people like my family will be at,I don't want to spend eternity in a place like that.

I use my Orthodox Study Bible because it has good notes. I get daily Bible readings delivered to my in box but am not sure what translation it is. I use NIV because it is what I grew up with and it is easy to find what i am looking for, especially if I am working from memory. Usually though I go to www.biblegateway.com and compare different translations.

I am an Orthodox Christian.

The truest answer to violence is love. The truest answer to death is life. The only prevention for violence is for the heart to have no violence within it. We cannot prevent evil through any system devised by mankind. But we can grapple with evil and defeat it, but only with love—real love.

I'm sorry your family was like that. I don't imagine it's a Bible translation issue, though - I mean, no version of the Bible says "piercings other than earrings are evil" or "thou shalt not marry non-whites". So if you like the KJV, keep using it (although I do think there are far better translations).

If you want to find a bible that you like go to a book store and look at them. I always look at my favorite verse or look at a verse that you know....like PS 23. Then compare and see what you like. MOST IMPORANT is to read for yourself.

I'm sorry your family was like that. I don't imagine it's a Bible translation issue, though - I mean, no version of the Bible says "piercings other than earrings are evil" or "thou shalt not marry non-whites". So if you like the KJV, keep using it (although I do think there are far better translations).

I agree and I've told my mother this she refuses to believe me ,but will not pick a bible up and read it herself she only goes by what her pastor of 20yrs says or my step father the church choir leader says tells her.

If you want to find a bible that you like go to a book store and look at them. I always look at my favorite verse or look at a verse that you know....like PS 23. Then compare and see what you like. MOST IMPORANT is to read for yourself.

Or BibleGateway, to save time. You can look at a verse in about 18 different translations at once; very handy. I really like that site.

I was raised Catholic but I'm not religous at all now. However, I am very sure of my spirituality. I love the quote in Trigger's signature:

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Jesus certainly had it right, and although I was very anti-Bible for a long time, I have recently found out that there are "red letter Bibles" that put Jesus's words in red; the New International Version (NIV) Red-Letter Edition was recommended to me. If you are having a hard time, you might want to try reading only Jesus's words to start. He will guide you to the truth. Then move on to the full gospels if you like. Here is a quote from Roberta Grimes, the author who inspired me to pick up the Bible again, regarding Jesus's words: "Read what he says about loving and forgiving and how we should be living our lives a couple of times a week, until you start to know his words by heart. Then live by them. You have nothing to lose, and a happier life to gain both now and forevermore."

I am a Christian. I was raised in a Bible teaching Church. That is what we (my family - hubby and kids) go to know also. It is a nondemoninational church.

I have many versions. I read different ones at different times. I also like biblegateway. I have NIV, Good News (from when I was a kid), King James (was my great grandma's - she wrote in it - love that), The Message and just bought a ESV the other day. DH has a NIV and NLT. He is a newer Christian (10y), and was having a hard time understanding some of what he was reading. Our pastor suggested he try different versions. I got on-line, picked a few verses and printed the same verse in many versions. He read through them and liked the NLT best.

I am currently reading through the Bible and using The Message for something different. When reading in Psalms I also read in NIV.

I read whatever I can get my hands on, it's all good! I typically prefer the NIV or Today's English Version if I want that old skool 70s vibe.

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I was brought up in a very hypocritical Baptist home my family mom and extended family and church they attend are very racists (against whites marrying other racists,against Religions mixing(I know it's in the bible some what),all Muslims are terrorists,I'm going to Hellosoup for having a tattoo and any piercing other than ears are wrong. the only real bible is the KJV and anything else is false and should be burned.

HA! When I first moved out of state I visited a Baptist church with a Bible under my arm. The pastor was very welcoming but after a couple minutes asked "What translation are you using?" I replied "NIV." Very cooly he said "Well, we only use the KJV here." At that moment I thought to myself "Man, I'm in the wrong joint." The KJV is cool and all, but if you're KJV only it tells me a lot about your church.

You know what? Move on from those people and forgive them. They are extremely ignorant and have a small faith. But Jesus forgives them...I think.

For the Protestant canon (what most of America refers to as the "Bible") I like my NASB study Bible. Otherwise I am reading a lot of the Gnostic gospels and texts (the Gospel of Thomas being my favorite), and currently reading the Qu'ran.

I am a mystic/Universalist heavily into Liberation Theology. This is a development of the past year. For my previous 30 years I was a fundamentalist evangelical...and passionately so. I was a missionary. But that theology fell apart for me. It was scary. It still is hard because most of my friends and extended family are still fundamentalist evangelical and most don't even know what I believe now. I am afraid of what will happen if they do. Thankfully my husband and immediate family (parents, brothers, sister-in-laws) are on the same page or at least very understanding. And we were all VERY evangelical (missionaries, worship leaders, Assistant Pastors, etc).

I, too would second reading just the words of Jesus for now. I personally would start with the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), and compare how different John is. The Synoptic gospels present a more human Christ. John is much more other-worldly, filled with his personal reflection on who and what Christ was/is. Decide for yourself through prayer, research and reflection weather you want to filter His words through the rest of the New Testament, through Christianity or anything else. Otherwise, if you just read His words you may find a very different message than Christendom has made them out to be. I personally don't think He came to start another religion.

I have found the Kingdom of God was/is His message, not personal salvation from sins and hell (I don't believe in a literal hell anymore), and that Kingdom isn't limited to any doctrinal or theological creed (Christianity, etc).

I pray your path is illuminated and your heart heals. I pray for support/community for you. Peace.

Happily married to DH for 6 years, in process to foster-adopt 3 children DD4, DS3 and DS2. We may be bringing half brother age 9 one day as well! We are not infertile, we just have decided that since there are precious children who need homes there is no need for us to have biological children.

We've got a copy of about a dozen different translations, which we use, if nothing else, to compare translations sometimes. We even keep copies of a couple that are more paraphrase than translation, just to be aware what other people are reading. I like the English translation from the Greek Septuagint for the OT, and either KJV or NIV for ordinary reading of the NT. KJV is useful because I can use a concordance on it. I plan to get an Orthodox Study Bible in the near future, having heard good things about it. My DH likes the Douay-Rheims version better than KJV; he finds it clearer